Apple M2 (8-core) vs Apple M3 Max (16-core)
58.1Single-core71.2
38.7Multi-core71
80Efficiencyspec-based93.3
35Platformspec-based60
0 spec wins — Apple M2 (8-core)12 spec wins — Apple M3 Max (16-core)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M3 Max (16-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 72.9 to 50.4, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+32) and single-core (+13). Apple M2 (8-core) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Apple M2 (8-core)
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
Reasons to pick the Apple M3 Max (16-core)
- Stronger single-core score: 71 vs 58
- Stronger multi-core score: 71 vs 39
- 433% higher Max memory: 128 GB vs 24 GB
- 200% higher Performance cores: 12 vs 4
- 178% higher Cinebench R23 (multi): 24,200 vs 8,700
General
| Spec | Apple M2 (8-core) | Apple M3 Max (16-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022 | 2023 |
| Process | 5 nm | 3 nm+40% |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M2 (8-core) | Apple M3 Max (16-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 8 | 16+100% |
| Performance cores | 4 | 12+200% |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 4 |
| Threads | 8 | 16+100% |
| Boost clock | 3.5 GHz | 4.1 GHz+16% |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M2 (8-core) | Apple M3 Max (16-core) |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 10-core GPU | Apple 40-core GPU |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M2 (8-core) | Apple M3 Max (16-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5-6400 | LPDDR5-6400 |
| Max memory | 24 GB | 128 GB+433% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M2 (8-core) | Apple M3 Max (16-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,600Top 44% | 3,130+20%Top 11% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 9,750Bottom 38% | 21,200+117%Top 8% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,580Bottom 34% | 1,950+23%Top 25% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 8,700Bottom 29% | 24,200+178%Top 12% |
| PassMark | 15,648Bottom 33% | 41,192+163%Top 12% |
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